Relatively movable valve actuator

ABSTRACT

A method of forming a container includes placing two heat sealable material pieces in overlapping relationship and a method of forming a container for dispensing liquid using two pieces of material in overlapping relationship, forming a seam line at a location spaced inwardly from the edges of the materials around the periphery thereof and outwardly adjacent one end thereof to define a pouring spout portion extending outwardly from said body by spaced apart substantially parallel seam lines extending to the end of said pouring spout and defining a pouring opening therebetween, filling the container with a liquid through the opening of the spout portion, and thereafter forming a seal closure between the seal lines of the spout portion. The container thus formed includes openings in a marginal area of the spout which provide a mounting engagement for the container on a support. The support carries a pivotal tongue which is biased by a weight to close the spout but which is shiftable such as by a drinking glass to be filled to open the spout to pour out the liquid.

[ Jan. 1, 1974 1 RELATIVELY MOVABLE VALVE ACTUATOR [76] lnventor: MattiGunnar Wilska,

Ukovkinenpolku 2C27, Helsinki, Finland [22] Filed: Mar. 16, 1971 [21]Appl. No.: 124,901

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Apr. 14, 1970 Sweden 5053/70 Apr.13, 1970 Norway 1351/70 Apr. 17, 1970 Denmark 1934/70 Dec. 17, 1970Great Britain 59,887/70 Dec. 11, 1970 Netherlands 7018098 Dec. 11, 1970France 7044764 Dec. 10. 1970 Germany P 20 60 910.3 Nov. 10, 1969 Finland..3237/69 [52] US. Cl 141/362, 222/529, 248/99 [51 Int. Cl 1365b 3/04,B67d 3/02 [58} Field of Search 141/362, 360, 361;

667,645 2/1901 Beck 248/100 3,222,019 12/ l 965 Weisberg 3,455,5297/1969 Propst et a1 248/100 Primary ExaminerHouston S. Bell, Jr.Assistant ExaminerFrederick R. Schmidt Attorney-John J. McGlew andAlfred E. Page [57] ABSTRACT A method of forming a container includesplacing two heat sealable material pieces in overlapping relationshipand a method of forming a container for dispensing liquid using twopieces of material in overlapping relationship, forming a seam line at alocation spaced inwardly from the edges of the materials around theperiphery thereof and outwardly adjacent one end thereof to define apouring spout portion extending outwardly from said body by spaced apartsubstantially parallel seam lines extending to the end of said pouringspout and defining a pouring opening therebetween, filling the containerwith a liquid through the opening of the spout portion, and thereafterforming a seal closure between the seal lines of the spout portion. Thecontainer thus formed includes openings in a marginal area of the spoutwhich provide a mounting engagement for the container on a support. Thesupport carries a pivotal tongue which is biased by a weight to closethe spout but which is shiftable such as by a drinking glass to befilled to open the spout to pour out the liquid.

1 Claim, 11 Drawing Figures PAIENTEDJAM 11914 3.782.430

SHEET 1 or Fig.1

INVENTORt MATT; Gunman WILSKA BYjM/q W Afton/8y PATENTEDJAH H9743,782,430

SHEET 2 0F 3 Fig.3 h

INVENTOR:

P1 HTT'I GUNNHR WILSKR RELATIVELY MOVABLE VALVE ACTUATOR SUMMARY OF THEINVENTION This invention relates to a carton for liquids, method ofmanufacturing the same and a valve arrangement for the carton. Thecarton comprises a liquid-tight inner bag of plastic film and a tubularpart of elastic material for filling and emptying the bag. The carton isplaced in a box made of a rigid sheet material, usually corrugatedcardboard, so as to provide a stable carton that gives the bagmechanical protection. Such a carton usually holds from a few liters toa few decalitres of liquid and the carton is generally used for thedistribution of cheap liquids, such as drinking water, juices and milk.The carton is intended to be thrown away and should therefore be ascheap as possible.

Known cartons of the type described above are expensive. This is mainlydue to the tube necessary for filling and emptying the bag as well asthe arrangement of the bags valve. An object of the invention is toprovide a carton that is cheaper than previously known cartons, as wellas a simple method of manufacturing the same, and also a cheap, simplevalve arrangement for the carton.

The invention is based upon the concept of having the tubular part ofthe inner bag wide enough for rapid filling, but having the tubular partcontracted for emptying so that it then has a substantially smallercrosssectional area for outflow. The carton thus can be filled andemptied through the same tubular part. When the carton is filled, thetubular part is sufficiently wide for the filling to take place rapidly.The tubular part thereafter is contracted so that its cross-sectionalarea for flow becomes substantially smaller and this part is closed forstoring and transporting the carton. For example, the liquid can bedispensed to drinking glasses by means of a valve arrangement accordingto the invention.

The invention is described in more detail below with reference to theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partly in section, of a tubular member providedin the lower part of the inner bag in a carton fitted with the valvedispensing means according to the invention.

FIG. 2 is a sectional view of the valve arrangement shown in FIGS. 1 and3, the section being taken along the line II-ll in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a part of the valve arrangement shown inFIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a view in section taken along line IVIV of the part shown inFIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is an elevation of the valve dispensing arrangement shown in FIG.1.

FIG. 6 shows a part of the inner plastic bag and the tubular partconnected therewith, seen from the side.

FIG. 7 shows a cross-section of the tubular part of the inner plasticbag taken along line VlI-VII in FIG. 6.

FIGS. 8-11 show schematically views of the tubular part of the innerplastic bag in the carton in different stages of manufacture and use.

The bag portion 1 of the inner part of carton is made by placingpolyethylene films against each other and by sealing them together alonga seam 3 which follows the contours of the inner bag 1 of the carton andof the tubular part thereof 2. The tube mouth is closed by melting forreasons of hygiene. Six holes 4 are formed in the outer edge of theinner bag adjacent the seam. For the purpose of filling, the innerplastic bag 1 is placed in a box of corrugated cardboard, and situatedin a filling device adapted to dispense liquid from above (not shown).The mouth of the tube 2 of the bag 1 is situated uppermost. This isschematically illustrated in FIG. 8. The tube 2 is opened by cuttingaway the seam that closes its mouth. The oblique end of a supply pipe 5is shown in FIG. 9; this pipe can then be easily fitted into the tube 2.The dimensions of tube 2 and of the pipe 5 have been arranged so thatthey are wide enough for rapid filling. This stage is shown in FIG. 9.When the inner bag 1 has been filled the end of the tube 2 is placed ina seaming device (not shown) which is situated in the filling device(also not shown), using the holes 4 as guides. The seaming device formsa seam 6 which makes the tube end narrower and simultaneously closes it.The lid of the cardboard box (not shown) is put in its proper place andthe end of the tube 2 is simultaneously placed under a perforated flapformed in the lid (not shown). Of the filling device, only the supplypipe 5 of the liquid is shown in the drawings. The seaming device andthe box of rigid sheet material, usually corrugated cardboard, where thebag 1 is situated, are also not shown.

To empty the carton in substantial quantities the carton, with the tube2 directed downwardly, is placed in a measuring device of which only thevalve device according to the invention is seen in the drawings. (SeeFIGS. 1-5). The perforated flap of the cardboard box is opened and thetube 2 of the inner bag 1 is drawn out. The end of the tube 2 isfastened to a member 7 of the measuring device by snapping pins 8,situated in said member, through the holes 4 in the tube 2. A smallpiece is cut off the end of said tube so that the seam 6 therein isopened. This is illustrated in FIG. 11. The longer the piece which iscut off of the tube, the larger the flow orifice, since the seam 6 hasthe tapered form shown in FIG. 11. 'A section which will provide alarger flow cross-sectional is shown by a chain-dotted line in FIG. 11.

The only movable part in the tube closing device is a double-armed leverwhich is mounted at a point 11 of the body of the measuring device. Alighter and shorter tongue-shaped part 9 of the lever is situated underthe tube in its longitudinal direction, while a longer and heavier arm10 produces a weight that tends to lift the tongue 9 upward and tightensthe tube fas tened at its edges so that it acquires the form of aninverted U and presses the inner walls of the tube tightly against eachother, thus tightly closing the tube mouth. A pressing arm 12 isfastened to said double-armed lever, with the pressing arm reachingbelow the tube mouth. If the pressing arm is pushed horizontally bymeans of the edge of a drinking glass (FIG. 1), the weight 10 risesupward in a manner shown by the chain-dotted lines; the tongue 9descends, and the tube mouth becomes free from tension. The hydrostaticpressure of the liquid opens the tube, and the liquid can flow into thedrinking glass 13. When the drinking glass 13 is removed, the tube willbe closed by the force of the weighted arm 10 pressing the tongue 9against the tube 2.

Various modifications of the invention may be made to the embodimentdescribed above. For example, instead of seaming, the contracting of thetube end can be obtained by means of clamping devices, thatsimultaneously fasten the tube to the body of the measuring device. Thetube mouth can be stretched to the emptying device so as to close thetube in a shape other than U-shape, such as for instance, a plane. Theessential matter is to obtain the closing of the tube by stretching thetube in transverse direction.

What we claim is:

1. A liquid dispensing apparatus, comprising a support body having asubstantially vertical wall portion, a container adapted to be supportedabove said support body and having an elongated spout portion extendingoutwardly therefrom and overlying said vertical portion of said supportbody, said support body having at least one projection on each sidethereof, said spout portion of said container having a sealing line oneach side thereof spaced inwardly from the adjacent side edge to form amarginal area outside of said seam line, at least one opening in themarginal area on each side, said support body having at least oneprojection on each side extending into each opening and holding saidspout body on said vertical support portion, a dispensing valve pivotedon said body and having a tongue portion underlying said spout portionbetween the seam lines thereof and having a drinking glass engagementportion adapted to underlie said spout, means biasing said lever memberin a direction to cause said tongue to engage against said spout andclose it off, said drinking glass projecting portion being displaceableto move said tongue backwardly to open said spout, said vertical wallportion including a forked lower end portion having spaced apart legsunderlying the marginal area of said container below said spout portion,said legs each carrying one of said projections which are engageablewith said container spout portion, said tongue being pivoted to saidsupport body and having a portion disposed between said legs which isengageable with said spout portion to close said spout portion.

1. A liquid dispensing apparatus, comprising a support body having asubstantially vertical wall portion, a container adapted to be supportedabove said support body and having an elongated spout portion extendingoutwardly therefrom and overlying said vertical portion of said supportbody, said support body having at least one projection on each sidethereof, said spout portion of said container having a sealing line oneach side thereof spaced inwardly from the adjacent side edge to form amarginal area outside of said seam line, at least one opening in themarginal area on each side, said support body having at least oneprojection on each side extending into each opening and holding saidspout body on said vertical support portion, a dispensing valve pivotedon said body and having a tongue portion underlying said spout portionbetween the seam lines thereof and having a drinking glass engagementportion adapted to underlie said spout, means biasing said lever memberin a direction to cause said tongue to engage against said spout andclose it off, said drinking glass projecting portion being displaceableto move said tongue backwardly to open said spout, said vertical wallportion including a forked lower end portion having spaced apart legsunderlying the marginal area of said container below said spout portion,said legs each carrying one of said projections which are engageablewith said container spout portion, said tongue being pivoted to saidsupport body and having a portion disposed between said legs which isengageable with said spout portion to close said spout portion.